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To sort Excel records in an order such as High, Medium, Low, create a custom list, then apply it in the Sort dialog. Excel includes built-in weekday and month sequences, and you can add your own. The steps differ slightly between Windows and Mac.

What a custom list does

A custom list tells Excel the order to use for particular values when sorting or filling cells. For example, a priority column can sort as High, Medium, Low instead of alphabetically. Custom lists sort values, not cell colors, font colors, or icons.

You can type a short list into Excel’s custom-list settings or import a sequence already entered in worksheet cells. Choose the method that suits where your values are already available.

Create a custom list in Excel for Windows

These steps apply to the documented Windows desktop workflow in Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, Excel 2021, Excel 2019, and Excel 2016.

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Enter a short list directly

  1. Go to File > Options > Advanced.
  2. Scroll to the General section and select Edit Custom Lists.
  3. Choose NEW LIST, then enter each item in the desired order in List entries, with one item per line. For example, enter High, Medium, and Low on separate lines.
  4. Select Add, then confirm with OK in the open dialogs.

Import a list from worksheet cells

  1. Enter the items in a worksheet column, with one item per cell and in the order you want Excel to use.
  2. Select the cells containing the list.
  3. Open File > Options > Advanced > Edit Custom Lists.
  4. Check that the selected cell range is shown, then choose Import.
  5. Confirm the dialogs to save the list.

Sort data using the custom list in Windows

  1. Select the full data range you want to sort, including every column that belongs to each record. Use a heading for each column when possible.
  2. Go to Data > Sort.
  3. In the Sort dialog, choose the column to sort in Sort by.
  4. Open Order, choose Custom List, and select the sequence you created.
  5. Confirm the dialog to sort the records according to that sequence.

For example, choosing the High, Medium, Low custom list sorts rows in that priority order while keeping each row’s other values together. See Microsoft’s Windows instructions for sorting with a custom list.

Create and use a custom list on Mac

Microsoft documents this workflow for Microsoft 365 for Mac, Excel 2024 for Mac, and Excel 2021 for Mac.

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  1. Open Excel > Preferences > Formulas and Lists > Custom Lists.
  2. Choose Add, then enter the ordered values separated by commas.
  3. Choose Add again, then close the dialog.
  4. Select a cell in the data you want sorted, then open Data > Sort.
  5. Under Order, choose Custom List, select the list, and confirm.

The custom order applies to the selected sort column. If results seem wrong on Mac, check whether the relevant values are stored consistently as numbers or text; mixed types may not sort as expected. Microsoft’s Mac sorting instructions cover this workflow.

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Limits and where custom lists are stored

  • A custom list can contain text or text mixed with numbers. For a list consisting only of numbers, Microsoft says to create the list as text first.
  • The documented range/table guidance sets a maximum length of 255 characters and says the first character must not begin with a number.
  • Custom lists are stored on the computer, so they can be used in other workbooks on that computer.
  • When a custom list is used to sort a workbook, it is also saved with that workbook. On another computer or server, the saved order can appear in the Sort dialog’s Order options, but it does not automatically appear in that computer’s Custom Lists settings or become available for Fill.

For Microsoft’s details on creating, deleting, and storing lists, see Create or delete a custom list for sorting and filling data.

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